This invention relates to medical units for use in aircraft. More particularly, the invention is for modular units which can be attached within the cabin of an aircraft, and especially in large commercial airliners configured for passenger transportation.
In this specification, the term xe2x80x9cmedical unitsxe2x80x9d should be broadly interpreted to mean medical equipment and machinery typically used in the treatment of patients. All of this equipment and machinery is, in accordance with the invention, housed within a modular unit which can be placed in the cabin of an aircraft, or other convenient location in an aircraft, so that the contents are generally hidden from view, and the modular unit occupies as little space as possible, until needed. The equipment and machinery which may comprise the medical unit includes, but is not limited to, stretchers which can be folded out and retracted in relation to the medical unit, power systems and power adaptation units, incubators, refrigerators, appropriate lighting mechanisms, communication systems for use by personnel operating the medical unit to communicate with either other crew members within the aircraft or medical and health professionals in remote ground locations, various body-function monitoring devices, and the like. These are representative examples only, and the scope of the invention is such that the extent and use of such equipment can be varied according to the situation. Other types of equipment which may be incorporated into the medical unit of the invention will be discussed during the course of this specification.
Air transportation is, of course, a major industry for the conveyance, on a large scale, of substantial numbers of people between many locations. Depending upon the size of the jet liner, commercial air liners during flight may be transporting anywhere from about 50 to nearly 500 passengers. While it is not unusual for some aircraft, particularly the larger aircraft with substantial numbers of passengers, to carry certain medical equipment to treat onboard medical emergencies, such equipment found on board is typically very limited in scope, and only capable of treating some of the most basic medical problems.
Furthermore, the issue of space in an aircraft cabin is critical in commercial airliners, and compacting galleys, storage areas and other components/compartments to an optimal degree allows more passengers to be accommodated within the aircraft.
The typical layout in an aircraft cabin consists of both rows and lines of seats extending down the length of the cabin. At certain intervals, walls or dividers are formed between rows of seats, and these have the effect, amongst other things, of separating the aircraft cabin into preselected and desired areas. The dividers, may, therefore, divide a large cabin into different classes of passenger travel, such as first class, business class and economy class. They also typically define one or more galley areas where flight attendants are able to prepare food and drinks.
As an example of the limited nature of any relevant prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,884 (Keogh) discloses a carrier for medical stretchers on aircraft. The installation consists of two frames with vertical and diagonal members supporting a horizontal rack, which has clamps with which to attach the stretcher to a top surface.
One of the purposes of the present invention is therefore to provide an aircraft medical unit to include a plurality of modern devices used in health care treatment, especially configured for optimum use inside the cabin of an aircraft.
In one aspect, the present invention utilizes an adaptation of a wall or divider within the cabin of an aircraft. The divider of the present invention may comprise a pair of spaced walls defining a chamber or space which, as will be discussed in greater detail below, is designed to compactly house various forms of medical equipment. Particularly, this medical unit of the invention comprises a module, which, in the normal course, partitions off areas within the cabin. However, the spaced-apart walls form a closet or space between them, in which medical equipment may be stored and easily accessed when needed. An important component of the medical unit, in modular form as described above, would be the presence of a stretcher, located within the space between the walls, which can be unfolded out of the space, and formed into a substantially horizontally positioned bed for use by a person requiring medical treatment.
The present invention thus takes advantage of typical cabin layout which utilizes partitions or dividers between sections of the aircraft cabin. Presently, these dividers may consist of nothing more than panels, which of course divide sections of the aircraft so that one section cannot be seen by passengers in an adjacent section. In most instances, the dividers may be no more than 4-8 inches thick, serving as they do, as physical dividers and nothing more. The invention, in one aspect, slightly expands these dividers so as to form a double-paneled unit, defining a space, and placing within the space a potentially vast array of sophisticated medical equipment, in addition to a stow-away stretcher. Compacting all this equipment into such an area, termed herein a medical unit, not only has the advantage of optimal space utilization, but also serves to keep medical equipment generally out of sight of passengers, but at the same time providing very easy access to such stored equipment should it be needed.
The medical unit of the invention would, in a preferred form, comprise various doors to chambers which may house various forms of medical equipment and supplies, ranging from simple first aid and/or trauma kit supplies to sophisticated medical equipment, including respirators, suction apparatus, oxygen equipment, defibrillators and the like. Thus, the space in the medical unit of the invention may be further divided into cupboards, chambers, accessible recesses etc., all of which are configured to best accommodate the different forms of equipment being stored.
The medical unit may further comprise a monitor, global positioning system (GPS), and cameras which may allow personnel and passengers on board to communicate, when necessary, with a doctor in a land-based hospital, contacted to provide guidance and information for on-board medical treatment. Preferably, the medical unit will be constructed as a modular unit, manufactured in an appropriate facility, and designed to be rolled in and installed in a specific aircraft. Therefore, the unit would typically have a vertical edge, a horizontal edge for mounting on the floor, and a contoured edge which would be custom-shaped to fit within the body of a specific commercial airliner, such as a Boeing 747, Airbus 320, or the like.
In a preferred form, the modular medical unit would easily attach to existing structural fasteners already located in the aircraft, so that they may be easily installed and removed as desired. Further, larger aircraft may be designed to accommodate more than one modular medical unit. In yet another form, a plurality of modular medical units of the invention may be lined up and installed within an aircraft cabin or cargo bay for transportation to remote sites where emergency workers may require temporary hospital facilities.
A significant advantage on the present invention is its compactness. The medical unit of the invention facilitates storage of a significant number of medical devices and pieces of equipment within a very small area, some of which may be folded out for use when needed. The invention thus would meet the needs and requirements of commercial carriers, which would be able to install sophisticated medical equipment capable of treating a wide range of conditions, but, when not needed, would take up very little space, and further be invisible to passengers. In other words, the medical unit of the invention may not even be recognizable as such when in a closed or unused position, and would merely appear to the casual observer to be a wall or divider separating the cabin into conventional and recognizable segments.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an aircraft medical unit comprising a front panel configured to fit in an aircraft cabin so as to form a divider inside the cabin; a rear panel of substantially the same shape as that of the front panel and spaced therefrom; a side panel between the front and rear panels, the front, rear and side panels defining a chamber; an access opening in the front panel; and a stretcher frame, movable between a folded and stowed position in the chamber and an unfolded and extended position to the outside of the chamber. Preferably, the front panel is configured so as to fit in the aircraft cabin between rows of seats, the front, rear and side panels following the contour of the shape of at least a portion of the aircraft cabin, the medical unit comprises at least one item of medical equipment used in the treatment of a patient.
The equipment may be selected from amongst the following: a monitor, a camera, a refrigerator, an incubator, a defibrillator, a respirator, an oxygen supply, and an autoclave.
Preferably, the access opening can be opened and closed by doors, which may comprise a pair of slidable shutters which run in tracks formed within the chamber of the medical unit. The aircraft medical unit may further comprise a plurality of cupboards, each cupboard accommodating selected medical equipment or machinery.
In one embodiment, the stretcher frame comprises a head end portion, a foot end portion and a foot end support leg, wherein the head end portion and foot end portions, and the foot end support leg are pivotally connected to each other so as to fold for stowage within the chamber, the head end portion and foot end portion unfolding in the extended position to form a substantially rectangular stretcher frame, and the foot end support leg being attached to the foot end portion and unfoldable with respect thereto, the head end portion being securely fastened to a clamp within the chamber when in the extended position, and the foot end support leg being unfolded to fasten to the aircraft cabin when in the extended position.
Preferably, the aircraft medical unit further comprises a mattress frame and an associated mattress connectable to the stretcher frame. Adjustable lighting for positioning over the stretcher may also be provided.
Preferably, the aircraft medical unit further comprises a power unit. Also, a power converter for converting aircraft power into a power source usable by the medical equipment may be provided.
The stretcher frame may be spring-mounted within the chamber to facilitate movement thereof between the folded and the stowed position on the one hand, and the unfolded and extended position on the other. Further, a clamping member for attaching an item of medical equipment to the stretcher frame at a desired location may be provided.
In one form, attachment members are provided for securing the medical unit to tracks constructed in the cabin of the aircraft.